Bulb, fuse, and license-card holder



Sept. 15, 1925 1,553,604

W. M. FOX

BULB, Fuss; AND LICENSE CARD HOLDER Filed June 16 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 754 ewmm 91( @7096 I Vca.

Sept. 15, 1925.

W. M. FOX

BULB, FUSE, AND LICENSE CARD HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16. 24

IE1 L 5 .5 anwwtoz wi/eeicww @129. $026 V665 flaw/nap Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. w WIIILIAK I. rox, OI LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

BULB, FUSE, AND LICENSE-CARD HOLDER.

Application filed June 16,

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I WILLIAM M. Fox, a citizen of the United States residing at Lebanon, in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bulb,

. provide a simple, inexpensive, com act and convenient device for carrying repacement bulbs and fuses for use on automobiles, provision being also preferabl made for holdin the drivers' license car 11 carrying out the above end, further objects are to provide unique means for hold ng the bulbs in place, to make novel provision for yieldably retainin the license card, to provide simple means or holding the fuses, and to provide an exceptionally simple and inexpensive, yet an effective casing structure for containing the bulbs, fuses and card.

With the foregoing in view, the inventlon resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described. and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanymg drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of .a device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sec tional view with the upper section of the casing swung open.

igure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a similar view on line 4-4 of Fi 2, but looking upwardly.

igures 5 and 6 are vertical transverse sectional views as indicated by lines 55 and 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fi ure 7 is a plan view of the blank from whic the lower section of the casing is formed.

Figure 8 is a similar view of the blank from which the upper casing section is constructed.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numerals 1 and .2 designate-respectively the lower and upper sections of a sheet metal casing, and 3 desi nates an elongated rec tangular base pre erably formed of wood, this base being carried within the lower casing section 1. The base 3 is formed with a 1524. Serial No. 720,410.

plurality of vertical openings 4 .through WlllCh the usual plugs 5 of a pluralit of bulbs 6, may be inserted as shown clearl y in Figs. 2 and 5, the walls of said openings bemg formed with vertical grooves 7 through which the usual lateral studs 8 ofwthe plugs 5, are movable. The lower side of the base 3 is also by preference formed with longitudinal grooves 9 between the openings 4, to receive the studs 8 after the plugs 5 have been inserted through the openings 4 and turned a quarter of a revolution. Secured under tension to the lower side of the base 3 and extending across all of the-openings 4, 1s a flat elastic strip 10 which is preferably formed of rubber, said strip being secured.

to the base at its ends and between the openings 4 by staples or the like 11. Normally, when there are no bulbs in theholder, the strip 10 assumes a truly horizontal position, but when the plug 5 of a bulb is inserted downwardly through an. opening 4, the lower end of said bulb and its contact depress the strip 10 as shown in Fi 2, placing it under addltlonal tension. T en, when the bulb and plug are turned to move the studs 8 out of alinement with the grooves 7, the tension of said strip will effectively hold the bulb and its plu in the position to which it has been turne If the base be provided with the grooves 9, and it preferably is, the studs 8 are held in these grooves by the tension of the strip 10.- To remove a. bulb, it is simply necessary to depress it to'some extent andturn it until the studs 8 again aline with the grooves 7, whereupon the bulb may be easily withdrawn for use.

Provision is made for holding a plurality of fuses 12 upon the base 3, between the bulbs 6, such provision being preferably in the form of a single elastic strip 13 secured at intervals to the base by staples or the like 14, providing flexible, elastic loops 15' drivers license card 16, may be inserted,

and to yieldably hold the card in place, a strip of rubber or the like'17 is secured by suitable fasteners 18 to the lower side of said base, said strip projecting slightly tively low front wall 22 integralwith and bent upwardly from the bottom 'wall 21 at the front edge of the base 3, and a pair of triangular end walls 23 which are integral with and bent forwardly from the back wall 20. Screws or other fasteners 24 pass through the front and end walls 22 and 23 and se cure them to the edges of the base 3, as well as securing the latter within the casing;

' in upwardly spaced relation with its bottom 21. It will be seen that this construction requires only the stamping "and bending of a metal plate and requires no soldering or the formation of other seams.

The upper casingsection 2 has a top plate 25. A relatively wide front wall 26 is bent described and claimed the construction as if it were used in the vertical position shown for instance in. Figs. 1, 5 and 6, it will be clearthat it might be used in some other position if desired.

Excellent results have been obtained from the details disclosed and they are therefore preferably followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed,numerous modi-' fications may, of course, be made.

Iclaim: H 1. A holder for automobile light bulbs comprising a; base having a plurality of openings through which the usual plugs of the bulbs are'insertable, op osed sides of said openings having grooves t rough which the common lateral studs of the bulb plugs are movable, andan inherently elastic strip exdownwardly from and is integral with the tending across the lower ends of said open topwall 25, and two end-walls 27 are integral with and bent rearwardly: from the front wall 26. These end walls and the end walls 23 are preferably of the triangular shape shown. A pair of ears 28 are integral with and bent downwardly from the ends of the top wall 25 and they lie against the outer sides of the end walls 27 to. hold the latter against outward springing, said walls 27 being disposed against the outer faces of the walls 23 to hold them against any inward movement. Combined pivots and fasteners 29, such as ordinary rivets pass through the ears 28 and the end walls 23 and 27, and they may well have washers 30 on their inner ends.

Attention is directed to the fact that in constructing the upper casing section 2, only the stamping and bending of one piece of sheet metal is required, and the construction is such that the combined pivots and fastener 29 hold the several walls of said section in rigid relation with each other as well as pivoting the upper casing section to the lower section. Thus, an unusually simple and inexpensive structure is provided requiring no soldering or other seaming.

In order to yieldably hold the two casing sections in relatively closed positions, as seen in Figs; 1 and 5, the wall 22 is preferably stamped to provide a rib 31, and the lower edge of the wall 26 is bent at 32 to form an internal groove which is adapted to snap over'the rib. This formation and the'friction existing at the pivots of the casing secings and secured to the base at intervals, said .strip being adapted to engage the bulb plugs and yieldably hold the above named studs against the lower side of the base when the p ugs are inserted throu the openings and turned to mov e the studs out of alinement with the" aforesaid grooves.

2. A device of the class described comprising a' casing, a base secured in said casing in spaced relation with its bottom and having a plurality of openings through which the usual plugs of light bulbs are insertable, opposed sides ofsaid openings having grooves through which the common lateral studs of the bulb plugs are movable, and an inherently elastic strip between the base and the casing bottom said strip extending across the lower en s of said openings and being secured to the base at intervals, said strip being adapted to engage the bulb plugs and yieldably hold the above named studs against the lower side of the base when the plugs are inserted through the o enings and turned to move the studs out of alinement with the aforesaid grooves.

3. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a base secured in said casing in spaced relation with its bottom and one side wall, the space between said side wall and base being adapted to receive the lower edge portion of a card, and an elastic strip secured to the lower side of said base and projecting slightly therefrom toward said side wall to frictionally engage and hold the card.

tions, will effectively hold said sections in 4. A device of the class described com prising a rectangular base, a back wall contacting with and rising from the rear ed of said base, a bottom integral with said back wall and bent forwardly therefrom under the base, a front wall integral with said bottom and bent upwardly therefrom in contact with the front edge of the base, a pair of end walls integral with said back wall and bent forwardly therefrom against the ends of the base, and fasteners passing through said front and end walls into the base to secure said walls in fixed relation and to secure said base in place.

5. A device of the class described comprising a lower casing section; an upper casing section comprising a top wall, a front wall integral therewith and bent downwardly therefrom, end walls integral with said front wall and bent rearwardly therefrom, and ears integral with the ends of said top wall and bent downwardly against the outer sides of said end walls; and combined pivots and fasteners passing through the ears and end walls and through the ends of the lower casing section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature. I WILLIAM M. FOX. 

